Idiocrates; Self-Motivation

There is no such thing as a 'self-motivated' individual. Motivation is a complex product of external stimuli. A person that works in terrible conditions, for a nasty supervisor, doing duties they hate or resent is going to be less motivated than they would be if they worked in great conditions, for a wonderful supervisor, doing duties they love or enjoy. It has nothing to do with 'self-motivation'; self-motivators are simply people who can work without direct supervision and do not need to be prodded onto the next task. Only someone completely unaware of their environment and sense of self could possibly have the same level of motivation for both the positions described above.
-- Idiocrates, "The Writings".